I adore your first sentence, it really sets a great mood for the rest of your chapter: "Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the USS Enterprise D, and one of the finest officers in the Star Fleet, stood alone in the Observations Room onboard his ship and gazed out on his first love: the stars."

Besides a couple proofreading mistakes, this story is a delight to read. You've captured Picard's personality well. If you ever decide to pick up this story again, I bet there will be some happy readers out there. :)